Chattanooga snow days through the decades

Here’s how we braved — and enjoyed — winter weather in the 1900s.

Aerial view of a bustling cityscape from the 1940s, featuring train tracks, busy streets, and tall buildings, surrounded by trees and distant hills. — A bird’s-eye view of a snowy downtown Chattanooga in 1950.

Love it or hate it, snow is part of Chattanooga’s history.

During the blizzard of 1993, our city got hit with 20 inches of snow. While that storm certainly holds the record, Chattanooga has seen plenty of significant snowfalls — like the 11 inches that fell in March 1927 or the 10 inches recorded in January 1988.

Numbers are great, but they only tell part of the story. How did Chattanoogans handle snow in the city? What did a snow day look like more than a century ago? For those answers, we turn to these historical photos.

1905 | Point Park, Lookout Mountain

Snow-covered stone castle with two round towers labeled "Point Park." Leafless trees are visible, suggesting a chilly, winter scene. — Does this look familiar? The iconic entrance to Point Park still stands today.

This photo shows a very snowy entrance to Point Park in 1905, the same year it was built. Fun fact: The castle-like design was made to look like the insignia for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and it remains the world’s largest emblem honoring the organization.

1918 | Broad Street snow dump

Horse-drawn cart unloading snow on a street with buildings and a large billboard advertising cars. People walk by on the snowy, cloudy day. — A horse-drawn cart full of snow is being dumped into the sewer.

The photo above shows two men dumping snow into a manhole, a common snow-removal method in the early 1900s. The approach wasn’t foolproof, since sewers needed enough water flow to carry the snow away — and that didn’t always happen.

1960 | Walnut Street Bridge

Black and white photo of a snowy bridge with a reflective icy path. A parked car on the left and a man standing on the right, creating a calm, cold atmosphere. — The beloved Walnut Street Bridge was used by vehicles until 1978.

Taken in February 1960, this photo shows James Templeton, Assistant Superintendent of the Public Works Department, washing snow off the Walnut Street Bridge. Three generations of the Templeton family — James, his father L.H., and his son Jim — worked for Chattanooga Public Works. Jim passed away in February 2021.

1964 | Chattanooga High School

Aerial view of a large, modern building with rectangular structures, surrounded by snow-covered trees. The tone is serene and wintry. — A layer of snow over the newly built Chattanooga High School.

Taken on January 4, 1964, this aerial photo shows Chattanooga High School blanketed with snow. Built on Dallas Road in 1963, it’s marked by a Tennessee historical marker as the oldest high school in Hamilton County. Today, the building houses the Center for Creative Arts (CCA) magnet school.

1964 | Sledding

Two children play in the snow on a hill. One boy slides down with a sled, joy evident, while the other stands, smiling. Snow-covered trees frame the scene. — We couldn’t end this article without showing someone actually *enjoying* the snow.

Editor Sarah here: Some of my favorite childhood memories are sledding with my friends, so I had to include this photo of children playing in the snow on January 4, 1964. Like the other photos, it comes from the Chattanooga Public Library’s digital collections, but there’s no additional information about where it was taken or who the children are. I know it’s a long shot — but if you know who they might be, I’d love to hear from you.

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